The Sixth Generation

Memories & Answers

The large wooden sign, looking as rustic as ever, marking where the camp entrance is comes into view, snatching my interest from my window. I look over to my wife, who's eyes glow. She must see it too. We round the corner, speeding down the roads that no one seems to ever be on. I look out my window as we go under the large sign in our car.

The parking lot looks the same as it did when we left. Not many cars park in the spots—a few here and there. Lauren parks in a spot next to the trail we have to climb to actually enter the camp. I unbuckle, looking back at Charlotte to see her swinging her feet and singing happily.

"We're making a purple soup, woot-woot, woot-woot." Charlotte sings, raising her arms with each woot. "We're making a purple soup, shooby-dooby-doop." She hums some incoherent words, tilting her head back and forth. "With purple potatoes and purple tomatoes."

My eyes shift over to gaze at Lauren's face, as she is watching the younger girl, too. Lauren shoots me a confused, yet happy, suppressed smile. Charlotte hasn't notice our staring; she is just singing to Banana and happily bouncing in her seat.

"We need you, Fabio!" Charlotte cheers, swing her arm around and pointing to the empty seat next to her. "W—"

"Who is Fabio?" Lauren smirks, interrupting the younger girl and causing her to jump slightly. Her cheeks grow red as she meets our gazes, looking down at her lap afterwards.

"I don't know." She mumbles, clearly embarrassed.

"I love your singing, sunshine." I tell her, smiling fondly at my daughter. She lifts her chin, flashing me a giddy, crooked smile. She then turns to look out the window, realizing only now that we stopped moving and that the car is off.

"Are we here?" Charlotte inquires, peering with excited eyes.

"Yep!" Lauren answers, opening her door.

We all unload from the vehicle, Charlotte reluctantly leaving Banana behind, even though we already had this conversation back at the house. Hand in hand, the three of us scale the hill up to the welcoming cabin.

The second my eyes land on the path lined with yellow flowers, a wave of nostalgia floods over me. It leaves goosebumps on my arms, causing me to grip tighter onto Charlotte and Lauren's hands. We walk right through the cabin, an old lady at the desk not even raising her eyes at us. I assume that's her way of saying 'come right through; you basically own this camp'. So we happily walk into the actual camp.

The great lawn is the first thing I see, the once brittle grass under my feet. Then, the nostalgia really hits me—like a tsunami. Images of Lauren, Dinah, Normani, Ally, and I running across this grass rush through my mind, filling my heart with immense happiness and overwhelming joy. The teenagers running in the grass now used to be us. I wonder if they have the same connection we had back then and still now.

"Camz," Lauren whispers, tugging at my hand. "Look." She is pointing at an indent in the full forest, one being lined with droopy trees and covered with dust. The trail to cabin 13.

The sigh makes my heart ache. My gaze swivels to the hill that leads to the mess hall, a smile appearing on my lips. I can remember stealing many peas and hiding them. I can remember eating dinner under the stars and staying up too late then rushing back to our cabin. I remember sneaking in the forest to train with Bea. I remember it all. Honestly, it's too many memories for my heart to handle.

"Excuse me." a vaguely familiar voice asks from behind me, sounding oddly strained. I turn around to meet brown eyes.

"Ariana?" I ask, my voice cracking slightly. The older girl cocks an eyebrow, adjusting the large boxes in her arms with her knee. Lauren turns around to look at her as well, Charlotte raises her wide eyes to scan the woman's face.